June 2010
The month of June astronomically heralds the first day of summer when the sun is at its most northern point in the sky – this year the solstice falls on Monday 21st. A month to celebrate growth and life, June is enjoyed for its long daylight hours, glorious displays of roses and honeysuckle, and buds such as the elderflower and hawthorn turning to bloom. Named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage, and derived from the Druids' solstice celebration of the "wedding of Heaven and Earth" it is thought to be good luck to marry in this month. Bern Williams (seemingly famous only for quotations) once said “If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance”.
In terms of what we can expect from seasonal produce, some of the local farms with polytunnels are already producing surprisingly tasty strawberries synonymous with an English summer and other soft fruits. Asparagus will only be available for a couple more weeks, and there are a few slim and juicy new carrots being harvested as well as a new season cabbage which adds a tasty leaf to many dishes. Cornish sardines will also provide a seasonal treat this month and samphire is a seasonal sea vegetable that grows abundantly on shorelines and salty mudflats. With its crisp texture, salty flavour and taste of the sea, it is traditionally served with fish so look out for some interesting variations on that theme this month. As all good things come to those who wait, we hope that this time next month there will be more to report from local farms and producers.
The Priory Inn has been in our ownership for 6½ years and in that time we have developed a close but always increasing family of local food and drink suppliers who are driven by a shared objective of producing a high quality product. They also happen to be local (within 30 miles) of Tetbury which is good for many reasons: environmentally it means there are very few food miles required for the food to reach your plates; we can support family businesses in our community and keep our trade local; nutritionally the food is fresher and seasonal which is tastier and healthier for everyone; plus there are many spin-off benefits such as being able to attract good staff who are interested in the product they cook and serve.
However, there are obvious products that are not possible to grow locally, so we buy these from small companies within 30 miles who have the same passion for their product that we have for ours. Extract Coffee (in Bristol) is a perfect example. David Faulkner is an ex-chef who happens to love (and know a lot about) coffee. The small company buys triple cert coffee (fair-trade, rainforest friendly and organic) from small farms and high-end growers in Brazil, Indonesia and Costa Rica and they blend and significantly roast their own coffee. Recently Marc from Extract Coffee delivered refresher training for our front-of-house staff in how to bring the best out in this high quality product. Whilst we are not a specialist coffee bar, we do pride ourselves on delivering very good coffee from quality sources which has been well-handled, freshly ground and made with care by well-trained staff.
We have just taken a big step with another independent family-owned business that we have been working with for almost 5 years. Richard and Emma Keene established The Cotswold Brewing Company in 2005 with the specific aim of brewing and supplying fine quality lager and beers to the local market. Their inspiration came from continental Europe with its strong tradition of producing lager of the very highest quality in community-based breweries. We have decided to turn our backs on the mass-produced draft lagers to exclusively serve Cotswold lager. The brewery is based in the small hamlet of Foscot, near Stow-on-the-Wold and is in an old Cotswold Stone farm building, part of a working farm estate. The brewery equipment originated from a micro-brewery pub in New York State USA, and was shipped over in eight containers to Foscot. One of the key reasons for switching our stock follows our own ethos about the food that we serve - we will be buying directly from people who are passionate about their product, people who changed their lives to follow their hearts, and in so doing, every beer they produce embodies that passion and commitment. We have Cotswold Premium, 3.8% and Wheat Beer on tap - refreshing Continental style lagers with delicate and really distinctive flavours. A no-brainer alternative to the mass-produced lagers and we feel sure that you will agree that the lager that Rick and Emma produce is far superior to any mass commercial product (and by the way will not cost you any more per pint!) Read more at cotswoldbrewingcompany.co.uk and let us know if you would be interested in a brewery tour and tasting to learn all about the brewing process and sample the end result!
Live Sunday music has become an integral part of our product here at The Priory Inn – we start the music every week at 8pm: 6th June – Juey an acoustic country/folk solo artist with a beautifully distinctive voice; 13th June - Dik Cadbury a gifted Gloucestershire-based singer/songwriter; 20th - Steve Degutis a talented and very popular local singer songerwriter; and 27th June - Sian Chandler and Ray Hughes. Please see our website for a link to more information about each singer. Entry is free and we really hope that you come and support live music with us – and there is no better way to spend a Sunday night! Click here for more information on each singer.
- “It is the month of June, the month of leaves and roses, when pleasant sights salute the eyes, and pleasant scents the noses.” Nathaniel Parker Willis
- TLKelly 1/06/2010
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